departments. I liked helping the grip and electrics and starting learning the gear and the etiquette. People started knowing me as a “Grip/PA” and the local G&E guys took me under their wing. I then started to get G&E jobs on very low budget films; which showed me the importance of having the right gear for the job, but also, showed me how to be inventive and use what we had at our disposal. As I made money I started to invest in lights and gear that would make my life easier on indie film sets. When word got out that I had gear people started calling to rent it from me, which was another source of income that I re-invested into my company “Pirate.” A local First AD’s husband was getting out of the business as a Hollywood Key Grip and was selling gear; so I bought a 5 ton Grip truck, a one ton camera truck, fifth wheel trailer, and grip gear. The indie jobs started getting bigger and I even started getting small commercial and corporate clients and just kept reinvesting my money earned into upgrading my truck and equipment. Every single job teaches you something and I am a collection of them all up to this day….
AZFMM I’ve seen you rig a car to
hold a camera. What are the main things you’re thinking about when building a rig like that? PG&E When building a car rig, I first want to see the vehicle, know what camera we are using, where the DP wants it, and if we need to be prepared for lighting on the INT or EXT of the vehicle.
black top, dirt road, or rocky road??) If we are using a light I want to know how we are going to power it: battery belt, inverter (off the car battery or our own), or a small generator. If we are using a generator we need to build a “front porch” or “back porch” rig to connect it to the vehicle. When doing all the above we need to make sure that the actors and crew can have access into the vehicle and that none of our gear is creating anything that will inhibit sound. Between each take we need to check the rig to make sure that vibration didn’t cause anything to come loose: it is always good to have a to-go set crate of gear in a follow vehicle to quickly fix any problems that might arise in the rig. I always want to think ahead to plan B and C because car shots mean we are driving away from basecamp and our trucks and gear, and I want to have a quick fix close and ready.
For me there are 4 ways of going about a car rig: hoodmount, hostess tray, vacuum cup/ speedrail rig, or a combination of all the above. Safety of the driver, people on the road, camera, and the gear is key!!! The rig must be strong and yet not damage the vehicle or inhibit the actor and/or driver from operating the vehicle. When rigging in wheel wells it is essential that the tires don’t rub or come into contact with the rig and there must be an underside ground clearance factored in (are we driving on
AZFMM You build rigs to hold
people and other objects as well. What’s the most elaborate rig you’ve ever built and what project was it for? PG&E Ironically the most elaborate rigs for me happen on
September 2013 AZ FILMMAKER 23